


Where the Path Diverges

by LotharWinchester



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dovahzul, Multi, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-20
Updated: 2015-10-20
Packaged: 2018-04-27 08:14:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5040877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LotharWinchester/pseuds/LotharWinchester
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Killian Fritjof  of Windhelm finds an unexpected link through his mother's blood.  One that he doesn't like.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where the Path Diverges

**Author's Note:**

> The story follows the Companions questline and parts of the Main and Civil War ones as well. it may follow parts of the Bloodmoon Prophecy too. Killian is my most recent dragonborn game and I decide I like him enough to start a fanfic about him. 
> 
> dislcaimer: I don't own skyrim, Bethesda does.

He had experienced this before.

Killian closed his weary eyes and waited for it to be over. Rolff Stone-Fist would leave the Grey quarter alone if he took another one of his feeble beatings.  The older man screaming about “his kind” and the “dirty elven scum” ruining Windhelm for the “finer citizens”. Even though his mother, Adelina Freide, had been a Nord.

Killian had met his brother Galmar three winters before his father’s passing.  He did little to quell Rolff’s distaste for any race other than the Nords in Skyrim. Galmar, in fact, shared the same unfounded hatred of the Dunmer and other refugees in their city. 

The bitter Windhelm summer breeze gently caressed the wounds on his cheeks. In his recent trip to Riften, he had granted the Arentino boy’s wish to kill the matron of the Honorhall orphanage he had almost been sent to as a young lad. He focused his current rage onto the woman’s corpse rotting in the Riften sewers.

“That’s enough Stone-Fist.” Killian slowly turned his head towards the main gate.  “We’ve come to teach you a lesson.”

Killian rage faded into relief as the owner of the gruff voice lifted Rolff off of his now tired body.  He’d lost track of how long the racist bastard had been pummeling him.

The crowd of Nords and refugees gasped as the bulky Nord gave Rolff the beat down Killian had wanted to do for over a decade. Once the bastard was wallowing in a pool of his blood, the other Nord turned to him and offered his hand.

Killian took it on reflex and struggled to stand once he was on his own two feet. The stranger accompanying his unexpected savior huffed.

“Farkas,” Killian focused on the muffled clanging of the other man’s armor, “Come Brother, he needs a healer.”

* * *

 

“You mean to tell me that he’s been taking Rolff’s beatings for the others?” Vilkas hissed as he glanced down at the bloodied Redgaurd, “For how long?”

“For as long as I can remember.” Jora sighed as she allowed her healing magic to seep into Killian’s robust frame.  “His father had beaten him as well. What Adelina saw in Kotar is beyond my understanding. The divines only know.”

Vilkas hushed his brother’s attempt at a growl with a rough hand to his shoulder.  “What happened to them?”

Jora’s husband, Lortheim, stood from his prayers to the divines. “Adelina and Kotar came to Windhelm almost three decades ago.” He smiled down at the man under his wife’s treatment.  “Adelina Freide was an adept healer from Markarth who served Dibella and Mara. All I know of Kotar Marcellus was he had escaped Hammerfell and briefly mentioned the Alik’r desert to me in passing.”

“Was?” Farkas frowned as the main doors slammed shut and echoed through the temple. He focused on the soft patter of footfalls to the nine statutes to each divine.

“Adelina passed when Killian had just seen his sixth winter.” Jora frowned as she finished her healing session. “As for Kotar,” She shook her head as her healing magic dissipated, “He disappeared not long after that. Good riddance, He did nothing for his son.”

“Jora!” Lortheim whispered in near awe of his wife’s bile.

“Apologies, Husband.” Jora gently ran her fingers through Killian’s blond mohawk.   “Adelina helped heal many in this city. Even the Jarl Ulfric’s father, not that his son will admit it.”

“Jora, Sofie is here to see him.” Lortheim’s set frown slowly disappeared as the little orphan rushed around the stone corner into the room with them. 

“Is Mr. Killian going to be ok Mrs. Jora?”  The child clenched the top of her flower basket tightly in her hands.

“Yes, child.” Lortheim answered for his wife, “What do you have there?”

“Mr. Killian’s bag, sir.” Farkas smiled softly at the child as he pulled the heavy sack off the floor. He was slightly surprised the child could drag it at all. “Mr. Killian said I could go with him when he came back.”

“Go where, child?”  Jora dug through the back Farkas held out and produced a small doll.

“Whiterun.” Sofie almost screeched with glee, much to the annoyance of the twin’s enhanced hearing. “Mr. Killian said he’s been saving for the house for sale and he wants to find work.”

The long haired girl shuffled through the tiny pockets of her dress until she produced several thin pieces of paper. “Here, Mrs. Jora! I promised Mr. Killian I would keep these safe!”

Jora gently grasped Sofie’s hand and handed the papers to Vilkas with the other.  “Sofie, would you like to join me to pray for Killian?”

“Yes Mrs. Jora!”

Vilkas shuffled through until he reached the bottom of the thin stack. The last two sheets of paper were the deed to Breezehome and a note from Jarl Balgruuf.          

 

_My Steward has informed me that you have placed an offer on the currently vacant house, Breezehome. Herein lies the deed to said property notarized by myself and my steward, Proventus Avenicci._

_On your humble request for work, I am in need of several contracts to be fulfilled and then we may discuss the open position, Thane of Whiterun. The Companions of Jorvasskar are always looking for new recruits. If you choose to, this is a most honorable path._

_Congratulations and welcome to Whiterun._

 

 

Farkas strained to read the letter while Vilkas mulled over its contents in his head.  “Brother, he intended to come to us for work.”

Vilkas had since shifted his attention to one of the previous pieces. “This is the girl’s record.” He glanced to the signature of Jarl Ulfric’s steward. It was consent to adopt Sofie. “By Skyrim’s laws, she is now his daughter.”

Both brothers turned back to the man sleeping peacefully on the makeshift bed.  Vilkas inhaled the scent of steel and snowberries along with the forests near Riften.  _Had he been there when the Honorhall woman was killed?_ He pondered as he pulled a large wooden chair over for his brother.  _And there is something else…_

“Stay with him.” Vilkas growled as he put the papers on a nearby table. “I’m going to get more information on him.”

Farkas nodded and took a deep inhale of Killian’s scent. “And be careful, Brother. He smells different. Almost like Daedra.”


End file.
